Official ESP club

[LoveThatBass]

What are those pickups? Also, what is the extra pot and switch for?

Cool bass!

Alumitone noiseless pickups, actually 2 switches each one selects its pickup for single and series modes, the extra pot is a push/push switch and pot . It selects active/passive modes and the tone pot is for passive tone control but is really in circuit all time and can act as master tone

 

[bass-shy]

Interesting! That must be one versatile bass!

Love the idea of a passive master tone control.

 

[rashrader]

Picked this one up locally for a great price. I’m quite impressed! It needs some love and fresh strings. 2005 J-1005. Seriously great specs for the money. Yeah, it needs a new nut, but the string doesn’t move.

 

[LoveThatBass]

Wow, that thing is gorgeous!

 

[rashrader]

Wow, that thing is gorgeous!

Right? EMG DC40 PJ Pickups, EMG 2 Band Preamp, Hipshot Licensed Hardware, Graphite Reinforced Neck. It is kinda heavy though… lol.

 

[LoveThatBass]

Right? EMG DC40 PJ Pickups, EMG 2 Band Preamp, Hipshot Licensed Hardware, Graphite Reinforced Neck. It is kinda heavy though… lol.

Well in that case I recommend a back brace

 

[rashrader]

Well in that case I recommend a back brace

I’m old. I don’t play out or even in a band at this point. 100% of my playing is done seated.

 

[stingray69]

hello,
As I'm looking for a "modern" ¨PJ bass, I'm more and more interested in a LTD AP-4, but I have a concern about the neck. ESP/LTD necks seems shallow, and the AP-4 also has a narrow jbass type neck. To LTD bass owners, do you think there could be stability issues with those necks, since it seems there are no reinforcement rods?

I'm new to ESP basses but I've recently bought 2 LTD AP-5 models in the last 2 months. Both necks are very stable and respond very well to truss rod adjustments. I had purchased a Schecter Stealth 5 earlier this summer, but ultimately had to return it because the neck would not sit still and hold its adjustments. The AP-5 on the other hand have been very stable for me. They are also freaking incredible in terms of tone & playability - at just about any price point I've tried. Hence the reason I turned right around and bought a backup to the first one I purchased.

 

[eadbass]

thank you for your review. Nice basses!

 

[stingray69]

thank you for your review. Nice basses!

I wasn't intending on purchasing 2 of these, but I was so completely blown away by the first one, I started thinking about another. I called my Sweetwater rep to just "inquire" about any Black Friday discounts they might be offering.

He told me they didn't have any of these in stock at the moment. But he also told me the worst possible thing he could have said, which was that these models might be discontinued soon. Not sure if he meant just from Sweetwater, or from ESP.

I had just found out about these and here they are about to be discontinued supposedly. So, I traded in a couple of basses and used the funds to get a 2nd one (in Black). Highly, highly recommend!

 

[BringerOvGirth]

My first LTD was the B-55. It was a the metallic silver 5 string, probably one of the cheaper in the LTD line at the time (2004/2005?) and then way back in 2010, I got the first iteration of the D-4 bass, a brilliant bass that I still have, and play, to this day.

The D-4 (2007-2018) has a merbau body, 5 piece mahogany and maple neck (neck-thru), with a rosewood fingerboard. I've jammed, gigged, and recorded a ton with this thing, and this heavy beast had the girth and grit I needed to play what I needed too. It's still in my arsenal, and I plan on getting the latest version with that gorgeous poplar top. I'll come back with better photos, but here's some live shots with the mighty D-4

 

[DennisO]

Hi guys. I recently bought a ESP LTD B-208fm 8 string bass. Something wrong with the neck, I knew when I bought it and got it pretty cheap. The serial number says It's a 2008. Not sure about that. A 2008 is supposed to have a 5 piece neck, mine doesn't, just a 1 piece. Also my neck is held one with 8 screws. All the pics I've seen have 6 screws. It's got a bad forward bow. At least an 1/8 of an inch when all tuned up. I started investigating and took all the strings off. The neck then was almost straight, a tiny bit of forward bow. I took the neck off, removed the truss rod cover, and checked it out. The truss rod nut is fine, 4mm fits fine, no rounded out hole. The nut loosens when I back it off but it won't drop out. Should I be able to remove the nut? Or is there something keeping it in. To me it seems like the truss rod nut is stuck on the end and when I back it off I'm actually unthreading the truss rod from it's anchor down in the heel. This is my first ESP LTD. I hope somebody can give me some advice?

 

[TerribleTim68]

It should be double acting, which would mean that the nut won’t come off. You should be able to adjust the truss rod to a slight back bow and then tune up.

 

[DennisO]

It should be double acting, which would mean that the nut won’t come off. You should be able to adjust the truss rod to a slight back bow and then tune up.

Nope, when I back it off as far as it will go, it won't adjust to a back bow. The neck goes straight/flat and the truss nut flops around very loose. I'm thinking the truss nut is seized on the end of the truss rod.

 

[AEVAREX]

Nope, when I back it off as far as it will go, it won't adjust to a back bow. The neck goes straight/flat and the truss nut flops around very loose. I'm thinking the truss nut is seized on the end of the truss rod.

You don't want to back it off, you need to tighten it to create some back bow.

 

[DennisO]

You don't want to back it off, you need to tighten it to create some back bow.

It will only tighten so far, and then stops. I'm pretty sure all that's happening is the truss rod itself is screwing in and out of the anchor down in the heel. I don't have a clue about ESP LTD truss rod nuts or how they work. This is my first LTD. I took it to the local shop and they didn't have any solutions. They're technician works Saturdays, so I left it there so he could look at it. Hopefully he'll have some great ideas, but I doubt it. I'm pretty sure the fretboards gotta come off to fix it.

 

[JW56789]

I'm new to ESP basses but I've recently bought 2 LTD AP-5 models in the last 2 months. Both necks are very stable and respond very well to truss rod adjustments. I had purchased a Schecter Stealth 5 earlier this summer, but ultimately had to return it because the neck would not sit still and hold its adjustments. The AP-5 on the other hand have been very stable for me. They are also freaking incredible in terms of tone & playability - at just about any price point I've tried. Hence the reason I turned right around and bought a backup to the first one I purchased.

View attachment 4511351

View attachment 4511352

View attachment 4511353

As you've found out, ESP's are incredibly overlooked to be as good an instrument as they are. One really nice feature on these, and something rarely seen in Fender-format instruments: Ebony fingerboard. When you mention the neck stability, ebony can add a lot of extra strength to a neck. It does require modest maintenance in that you want to be sure and keep the fretboard oiled, once or twice a year is plenty.

Alder, maple/ebony neck, Gotoh keys, 6-bolt neck, Babicz bridge and EMG under the hood. How are these NOT more widely known ?

 

[stingray69]

As you've found out, ESP's are incredibly overlooked to be as good an instrument as they are. One really nice feature on these, and something rarely seen in Fender-format instruments: Ebony fingerboard. When you mention the neck stability, ebony can add a lot of extra strength to a neck. It does require modest maintenance in that you want to be sure and keep the fretboard oiled, once or twice a year is plenty.

Alder, maple/ebony neck, Gotoh keys, 6-bolt neck, Babicz bridge and EMG under the hood. How are these NOT more widely known ?

They are simply outstanding - the specs are incredible as you say, and the tone is killer as well. Fretwork on both of my AP5's are examples of some of the best I've seen from any manufacturer. The Ebony board and active EMGs make for a very clean & punchy tone that leans slightly modern but can warm up very nice with the tone rolled off. It's a heck of an instrument that I'm glad I stumbled upon - as you say, shame you don't hear much about them on TB. I'd have had one probably MUCH sooner.

 

[Dincrest]

Interesting thing...

When I "rescued" a preowned LTD HTB-600 from a Guitar Center back around 2011, I had intended it to be a backup/#2 to a Warwick I used to have. Go figure, I sold that Warwick and this LTD became my #1. I had it heavily modded (this is what the stock model looked like: ) and I will take it with me to the afterlife. I plan to retire it this year and keep it more as a display piece.

Cut to the present... earlier this year, I happened across this preowned early-2000s LTD F-205 (I *think* it's one of the rare 34" scale F-series basses) in a local family-run music shop. They were practically giving it away. This too was meant to be a backup/#2 (to this bass: SOLD - Ibanez SR905 Thru-Neck 5-string, 3D Countoured Body (like a Spector or Warwick)) but it's become my #1. It's the bass I pick up more often, because it nestles against me the way I like and I can pretty much play it with my eyes closed.

In both cases, these LTDs were hanging on the walls ignored and untouched, likely because of their unusual shapes and/or colors. In both cases, I figured, "eh, why not?" when trying them out, and both were far better instruments than I expected. My thoughts after jamming on both of them were literally, "This is a nice bass. It just needs a little love."

In looking at my bass playing journey, ESP/LTD were never really a brand super high on my radar, so it feels like ESP/LTD found me rather than the other way around. I rescued two LTDs with the intentions of them becoming #2/backup basses to "better" basses, yet they found themselves into my #1 spots. I've played/owned Ibanez, Warwick, Zon (import line), Spector, Carvin, Guitar Factory (an independent luthiery consisting of two guys who worked with Michael Tobias in the early days), and other assorted basses that are/were excellent instruments over the decades, but ESP/LTD has really grown on me and those are what my hands like best.

Heck, I'm tempted to trade/sell that Ibanez Soundgear towards an LTD (maybe a D-5 or one of the newer F-205s) down the road and make my entire stable ESP/LTD. Then I can truly be part of the ESP/LTD club.

 

[bass-shy]

Interesting thing...

When I "rescued" a preowned LTD HTB-600 from a Guitar Center back around 2011, I had intended it to be a backup/#2 to a Warwick I used to have. Go figure, I sold that Warwick and this LTD became my #1. I had it heavily modded (this is what the stock model looked like: View attachment 4601119 ) and I will take it with me to the afterlife. I plan to retire it this year and keep it more as a display piece. View attachment 4601104

Cut to the present... earlier this year, I happened across this preowned early-2000s LTD F-205 (I *think* it's one of the rare 34" scale F-series basses) in a local family-run music shop. They were practically giving it away. This too was meant to be a backup/#2 (to this bass: SOLD - Ibanez SR905 Thru-Neck 5-string, 3D Countoured Body (like a Spector or Warwick)) but it's become my #1. It's the bass I pick up more often, because it nestles against me the way I like and I can pretty much play it with my eyes closed. View attachment 4601105

In both cases, these LTDs were hanging on the walls ignored and untouched, likely because of their unusual shapes and/or colors. In both cases, I figured, "eh, why not?" when trying them out, and both were far better instruments than I expected. My thoughts after jamming on both of them were literally, "This is a nice bass. It just needs a little love."

In looking at my bass playing journey, ESP/LTD were never really a brand super high on my radar, so it feels like ESP/LTD found me rather than the other way around. I rescued two LTDs with the intentions of them becoming #2/backup basses to "better" basses, yet they found themselves into my #1 spots. I've played/owned Ibanez, Warwick, Zon (import line), Spector, Carvin, Guitar Factory (an independent luthiery consisting of two guys who worked with Michael Tobias in the early days), and other assorted basses that are/were excellent instruments over the decades, but ESP/LTD has really grown on me and those are what my hands like best.

Heck, I'm tempted to trade/sell that Ibanez Soundgear towards an LTD (maybe a D-5 or one of the newer F-205s) down the road and make my entire stable ESP/LTD. Then I can truly be part of the ESP/LTD club.

Cool basses! My journey is similar to yours in that I wasn't exactly seeking out ESP/LTD, I was actually going to buy a Warwick that day. Played a C-304 and it was all over!